Chinamobile and Free WLAN Service

Mobile phone users of Chinamobile Ltd’s network in Shanghai will benefit from a two-month free Wi-Fi surfing service, as the country’s largest telecommunications operator accelerates the deployment of its high-speed wireless broadband network.

From Nov 1 to Dec 31, mobile Internet users of ChinaMobile can get free access to an all-round wireless local area network (WLAN) in the city's hotspots where wireless signals are heavily concentrated.

By the end of 2011, WLAN hotspots provided by ChinaMobile will exceed 6,000, covering 5 million square meters of city buildings, including transport hubs, shopping districts, and public services. Currently Wi-Fi signals are available in Hongqiao and Pudong airports, Starbucks, universities, five-star hotels, among others.

Subscribers simply need to type in the phone number to China Mobile's WLAN web portal and receive a temporary password for authentication. The procedure takes less than one minute and is once for all. Please find more details in Q & A section below.

The Shanghai subsidiary of ChinaMobile currently has some 12 million mobile Internet users, but only 1.5 million of them opt for surfing through WLAN signals. The move reflects part of the company's effort to bridge the digital divide and its bid to turn Shanghai into a 'smart city'.

The company signed an agreement with the Shanghai Municipal government in August to boost wireless coverage across the city in the coming three years. Chinamobile will invest a total of 13 billion yuan to integrate its GSM, TD-SCDMA, TD-LTE and WLAN wireless networks. It plans to build 90,000 WLAN access points by 2013, ensuring its subscribers to enjoy seamless roaming.

Q & A:

1. What is WIFI?

Answer: WIFI is WLAN, refers to wireless communication technology to computer equipment interconnected and constitute a resource sharing network system. ChinaMobile has WIFI service for business professionals and corporate clients through the launch of the terminal based wireless LAN WIFI broadband wireless access in related to internet/Intranet access, entertainment or mobile office business.

2. WLAN and WIFI is the same?

Answer: You can think of WLAN and WIFI is the same concept. China Mobile provides WIFI service. Its network name is CMCC CMCC-EDU.

3. How to activate China Mobile WIFI service?

Answer: Mobile phone users can send KTWLAN via text message to 10086 to get the password, your username is your phone number. If you forget your password, you can send CZWLANMM to 10086 to reset your password.

4. How to access WIFI Internet?

Answer: As long as your laptop supports WIFI function, to activate the wireless network connection, you can log on to search CMCC signal and activate wireless Internet connection WIFI network.

5. How to check WLAN hot spot coverage area?

Answer: You can use the following methods to find WLAN hotspots. (1) Send message "WLAN" via text message to 10658015, the system will automatically send you the nearest WLAN hotspots locations.(2) Call 12580 information search platform number, customer service inquiry number. (3) Call China Mobile customer service number 10086.

6. Can mobile phone use WIFI Internet access?

Answer: Make sure your phone with WIFI function. If your phone has WIFI function, you can use ChinaMobile WIFI, mobile phone browsers are quite different, some mobile browsers may not support WIFI authentication. In addition, if your phone operating system is Iphone, Android1.5 above, Symbian S50V5 or Symbian 3, you can download the user interface of mobile phones to use WIFI ChinaMobile WLAN. In order to avoid inadvertently switch to other data functions (e.g. GPRS or TD) to generate traffic and costs, we recommend that you turn off those data functions when you use the WIFI Internet access.